August 21, 2024 CEPA Gallery and the Blue Flags Memorial
Buffalo, NY, – August 21, 2024 –
CEPA Gallery is honored to have played a major role in bringing Blues: a 5/14 Memorial to fruition. This public art project, catalyzed by a rare and prestigious special leadership grant that CEPA received from the NEA earlier this year, will continue through the Fall 2024.
The project was designed by and granted to artist Brendan Bannon in conjunction with CEPA to honor those lost on May 14, 2022, at the Tops Supermarket on the East Side of Buffalo in a racist attack. Fourteen artists and community leaders were trained to deliver more than 90 trauma-informed workshops so far throughout Buffalo, reaching over 4,000 area residents of all ages.
In a front-page story about the Blues Memorial the Buffalo News columnist Sean Krist spoke to Blues: a 5/14 Memorial facilitators, National Endowment for the Arts Chairperson Maria Rosario Jackson and Blues: a 5/14 Memorial founder Brendan Bannon.
“([Brendan)] Bannon, whose suggestion ignited the Blues Memorial, is also the founder of Odyssey, which offers photographic training and an artistic canvas for combat veterans. Since January, creating the flags has involved dozens upon dozens of workshops at schools, community centers, churches and other gathering points, with one major focus.
The idea is individual reaction, thousands of times over, from people too rarely asked what they are feeling – and then to ‘put those intentions in the wind,’ as Bannon said.”
Check out the video above, which highlights the project and the visit from Maria Rosario Jackson this past summer, thanks to Alexander Harold from Creative Connect.
Additionally, the most recent NEA Newsletter describes Chair Jackson’s visit to CEPA Gallery and the project installed in Buffalo, which can be found in the link here!
CEPA thanks all of its funders for their continued assistance as the project develops its Fall workshops and outreach. Please consider donating to our next phase on our website.
Image Credit: Libby March of The Buffalo News